Registered Charge Nurse-RN - Neuro-Tele-Acute Care

Work Shift

Day (United States of America)

The RN Clinical Charge Nurse is responsible for directing and overseeing the daily activities of the unit on an assigned shift to assure successful safe delivery of care. The Charge Nurse is a caregiver and often takes modified patient care assignment. They practice in a clinical environment that is administered by Nurse Managers and other leaders and is supported through the Well Star Shared Governance Model.

The framework for practice is steered by the Well Star Professional Nursing Practice Model and evidence based practice and research. RN competencies are derived from these models and supported by the Well Star Core Competencies. The RN Clinical Charge Nurse is a proactive member of an interdisciplinary team of licensed and unlicensed care givers who ensure that patients, families and significant others receive individualized high quality, safe patient care.

Expectations of practice include accountability, responsibility and authority for the practice of nursing; effective teamwork; delegation; communication; respect; personal development; and development of team members. The role contributes to the establishment and maintenance of practices that ensure excellence in patient care, provides for the efficient use of resources, and undertakes leadership tasks such as staff schedules, unit patient flow, subject matter expertise for clinical concerns, physician rounding, committee involvement, survey readiness, and other tasks assigned by the manager, which are basic to the department's ability to function smoothly and effectively.

The RN Clinical Charge Nurse is a resource to other areas, offering opportunity to learn about operational functionality and hospital/facility awareness. He/she assists in the growth and development of team members on the unit to help build department skill sets and inspire expertise. This leader brings the ability to build rapport between nurses and physicians, continuing service to the patients and acting as a role model to others.

It is expected that all RN Clinical Charge Nurses are licensed, knowledgeable, and uphold the practice of nursing as outlined by the Georgia Professional Nurse Practice Act, implementing the Scope of Practice and Code of Ethics Standards set by the American Nurses Association. As a member of the patient services team, it is expected the individual upholds the voice of the patient, system policies and procedures while supporting service excellence goals.

She/he possesses advanced clinical expertise and utilizes this expertise to support and promote safe, age–appropriate and culturally aware patient care and serves as a partner in care.

• Resources and Support:
  Monitors equipment inventory, location, and utilization to ensure staff have the tools and equipment needed to perform their job.
• Participates in planning and requesting resources for high‑quality care and assists in acquiring appropriate staffing during unexpected staffing shortages or surges in census.
• Proactively plans for the care of patients across the care continuum during direct patient care. Participates in developing protocols and procedures when called upon or through self‑initiation in collaboration with care managers and other members of the healthcare team to achieve best‑practice outcomes (e.g., decreased re‑admission rates, avoidable days, adverse events, etc.).
• Tactical Responsibilities:
  • Make patient assignments, considering new grads, float staff and type of patient.
  • Daily discharge / length‑of‑stay review.
  • Round with physicians/surgeons.
  • Assign surgery beds in conjunction with the surgery schedule.
  • Consult with Supervisor Nursing Administration (House Supervisor) on bed flow and availability.
  • Emergency services:
    Assignments for sections, manage waiting room, multiple areas open at different times.
• Exemplary Practice and Outcomes:
  • Rounds on every patient daily to evaluate quality and appropriateness of patient care, including corrective action when needed using peer coaching and accountability.
  • Provides or oversees the nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, identification of…